skatingtripods wrote:God damn, that was an excellent show. Hard for me to get past Jeff Daniels as Harry Dunne in Dumb & Dumber, but, the first episode went a long way to getting that out of my head.

Terrific from top to bottom. The writing, the acting, all of it.

Try acting tipsy without actually being so. Kudos to Sam Waterson. I'm a bit skeptical on the whole "I gave an impassioned speech about America but can't remember a word of it because I am taking medication for vertigo" but let's see how it plays out.

I don't need to be patient, they're going to be shit forever. - CDT, discussing my favorite NFL team

Last nights episode was great, but I been seeing reviews that episodes 2 and 3 are major drop-offs... Can't wait to see if this show is a West Wing, or a Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (i.e. great pilot, with no good follow up's).

"I don't think they're building chemical weapons in Berea. But they might be. I can't say for sure."Chuck Klosterman

Really enjoyed the first episode. Great pacing with the show, writing was very well crafted.

Have it on regular viewing, hopefully it stays true to form.

Playing here is the closest thing to heaven. Really, I mean it's amazing to be in a place where the fans truly cherish their football team and stick behind them win or lose. We players love them, too. I feel a sense of accomplishment playing here, we are a special breed of football players with a great opportunity." ~ tOSU LB Brian Rolle

skatingtripods wrote:God damn, that was an excellent show. Hard for me to get past Jeff Daniels as Harry Dunne in Dumb & Dumber, but, the first episode went a long way to getting that out of my head.

Terrific from top to bottom. The writing, the acting, all of it.

Try acting tipsy without actually being so. Kudos to Sam Waterson. I'm a bit skeptical on the whole "I gave an impassioned speech about America but can't remember a word of it because I am taking medication for vertigo" but let's see how it plays out.

Skeptical of what, the aftermath? He already admitted that he wasn't even taking medication.

Good 1st episode. The opening speech articulated exactly how I feel about the 'Merica that we now find ourselves in. Gotta see the next few before I give it the 100% seal of approval as, as others have pointed out, the reviews haven't been kind to the post-pilot episodes.

Previews for next week failed to inspire me though. Was my first comment after seeing em last night, before seeing all the previews that say the next couple episodes blow. Was also disappointed to see em introduce the former lover angle between Harry Dunne and the gal. Show doesn't need that. Unless it causes someone to dump Turbo-Lax in his tea.

Dialogue was outstanding, as expected. Show itself ... we'll see. Only a matter of time before Sorkin ruins great dialogue and acting with shitty love stories and his flaming liberalism. Can see it being JUST good enough to not stop watching, yet eternally disappoingting. Like Dexter.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

Previews for next week failed to inspire me though. Was my first comment after seeing em last night, before seeing all the previews that say the next couple episodes blow. Was also disappointed to see em introduce the former lover angle between Harry Dunne and the gal. Show doesn't need that. Unless it causes someone to dump Turbo-Lax in his tea.

Dialogue was outstanding, as expected. Show itself ... we'll see. Only a matter of time before Sorkin ruins great dialogue and acting with shitty love stories and his flaming liberalism. Can see it being JUST good enough to not stop watching, yet eternally disappoingting. Like Dexter.

Yeah, got nearly the exact same sense. Previews next week and future weeks didn't leave much to tease. Hopefully Sorkin makes it a point to stay above the political fray. It will be damn hard though but it would be refreshing particularly for a show's premise that portends to re-build itself off it.

The Olivia Nunn inclusion into the cast is pointless, IMO. Further articulates the concern where this show could go. My solution... hire ugly people. Good acting ugly people.

Playing here is the closest thing to heaven. Really, I mean it's amazing to be in a place where the fans truly cherish their football team and stick behind them win or lose. We players love them, too. I feel a sense of accomplishment playing here, we are a special breed of football players with a great opportunity." ~ tOSU LB Brian Rolle

Previews for next week failed to inspire me though. Was my first comment after seeing em last night, before seeing all the previews that say the next couple episodes blow. Was also disappointed to see em introduce the former lover angle between Harry Dunne and the gal. Show doesn't need that. Unless it causes someone to dump Turbo-Lax in his tea.

Dialogue was outstanding, as expected. Show itself ... we'll see. Only a matter of time before Sorkin ruins great dialogue and acting with shitty love stories and his flaming liberalism. Can see it being JUST good enough to not stop watching, yet eternally disappoingting. Like Dexter.

mattvan1 wrote:I'm a bit skeptical on the whole "I gave an impassioned speech about America but can't remember a word of it because I am taking medication for vertigo" but let's see how it plays out.

He said to Mackenzie at the end that wasn't the case. He remembered all of it. He just let himself say it because he thought he saw her in the audience (turned out that it was actually her) and got flustered.

ETA: I don't personally think it will turn too liberal. Because I don't think Will McAvoy is either a liberal or a conservative. I think it will be about actually BEING fair and balanced, as opposed to MSNBC and FauxNews saying they are, yet not in the slightest being so.

Because I think that's their entire point. News today is slanted towards one way no matter which station you're watching. No one just reports the news in a neutral way.

cozmeesah wrote:ETA: I don't personally think it will turn too liberal. Because I don't think Will McAvoy is either a liberal or a conservative. I think it will be about actually BEING fair and balanced, as opposed to MSNBC and FauxNews saying they are, yet not in the slightest being so.

Not in the party sense. Sorkin is saying pox on both. Bt when Sorkin gives you his post-partisan "centrist" view, you can best believe that all corporate efforts will be evil an dthe premise is everyone; in the gubmint or on TV, is bought & sold.

Hear me now and believe me later.

BTW - If you want that show on TV now that Sorkin is trying to create it's moderated by Joe Scarborough & ironically on MSNBC....

skatingtripods wrote:God damn, that was an excellent show. Hard for me to get past Jeff Daniels as Harry Dunne in Dumb & Dumber, but, the first episode went a long way to getting that out of my head.

Terrific from top to bottom. The writing, the acting, all of it.

Try acting tipsy without actually being so. Kudos to Sam Waterson. I'm a bit skeptical on the whole "I gave an impassioned speech about America but can't remember a word of it because I am taking medication for vertigo" but let's see how it plays out.

Skeptical of what, the aftermath? He already admitted that he wasn't even taking medication.

Good 1st episode. The opening speech articulated exactly how I feel about the 'Merica that we now find ourselves in. Gotta see the next few before I give it the 100% seal of approval as, as others have pointed out, the reviews haven't been kind to the post-pilot episodes.

thanks for the clarification. Not sure what Sorkin's message was behind the rant. Was it to really point out the decline of America, or was it intended to develop the character? Both? Whatever it came across as very white bread upper middle class centric. 'Cause while things may not be all that and a bag of chips today, pretty sure our society as a whole is a lot better off now than in the pre civil rights days. Maybe he was talking about Cleveland sports in the '50s and '60s? Now that would make sense.

I don't need to be patient, they're going to be shit forever. - CDT, discussing my favorite NFL team

I couldn't find anything concrete about Jeff Daniels's politics, but his family owns their own company and he was the spokesman some commercials for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, so I'm going to assume he at least leans right. In a role like this, you would think he'd talk to Sorkin and be sure that he wouldn't have to openly compromise what he believes in, even if it's just for a role in a TV show. He probably wouldn't sign on if he had to play Sorkin's puppet for liberalism.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

skatingtripods wrote:I couldn't find anything concrete about Jeff Daniels's politics, but his family owns their own company and he was the spokesman some commercials for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, so I'm going to assume he at least leans right. In a role like this, you would think he'd talk to Sorkin and be sure that he wouldn't have to openly compromise what he believes in, even if it's just for a role in a TV show. He probably wouldn't sign on if he had to play Sorkin's puppet for liberalism.

Yep, he's an actor. Which means he has no thoughts of his own. It's no coincidence that the vast majority of actors who were in "An American Carol" identified themselves with the right.

I'm just speculating. Some people have beliefs and stand up for them. I don't know Jeff Daniels, don't know what his politics are, and have no idea if he would pass on a role that he didn't feel comfortable doing.

But, clearly you do and you know everything, as you have proven to us all countless times.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

Yep, he's an actor. Which means he has no thoughts of his own. It's no coincidence that the vast majority of actors who were in "An American Carol" identified themselves with the right.

I'm just speculating. Some people have beliefs and stand up for them. I don't know Jeff Daniels, don't know what his politics are, and have no idea if he would pass on a role that he didn't feel comfortable doing.

But, clearly you do and you know everything, as you have proven to us all countless times.

Actors play roles. Nazis, rapists, serial killers, and various other elements of societal scum. It's a role and they're actors. You think Ralph Finnes had to compromise he beliefs to play Amon Goeth?

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:This country sucks sweaty balls, a pile of rancid sewage. Sorkin has his finger on the pulse.

But that wasn't the point. The point was how much better the country was in the '50s and '60 than now. And in a lot of ways it was. But there are a whole lot of ways it was terrible - far more so than today.

I don't need to be patient, they're going to be shit forever. - CDT, discussing my favorite NFL team

skatingtripods wrote:I couldn't find anything concrete about Jeff Daniels's politics, but his family owns their own company and he was the spokesman some commercials for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, so I'm going to assume he at least leans right. In a role like this, you would think he'd talk to Sorkin and be sure that he wouldn't have to openly compromise what he believes in, even if it's just for a role in a TV show. He probably wouldn't sign on if he had to play Sorkin's puppet for liberalism.

With all the talk of the steep drop off after the pilot, I was prepared for the worst with the 2nd episode. Maybe a bit long on the Maggie/Jim convo's/fights but I still enjoyed it. Unfortunately it did follow the structure of the 1st episode with expositions leading into the story/crisis and closing with post-show revelations (the only difference was the shitty show instead of the great one) so hopefully they move away from that crutch, but I doubt it.

rebelwithoutaclue wrote:With all the talk of the steep drop off after the pilot, I was prepared for the worst with the 2nd episode. Maybe a bit long on the Maggie/Jim convo's/fights but I still enjoyed it. Unfortunately it did follow the structure of the 1st episode with expositions leading into the story/crisis and closing with post-show revelations (the only difference was the shitty show instead of the great one) so hopefully they move away from that crutch, but I doubt it.

My least favorite part is the hokey theme song. Just unbearable.

I watched the first episode and enjoyed it more than I thought.

But the promo for the second episode looked like a rehash of the first and a precursor of the way every episode will run - dialogue, relationship-drama, story comes to light, working to get story, conflict between a couple people while getting story, story, conclusion.

It didn't really look like a show I want to watch week-in and week-out.

Think we saw a little bit of Sorkin's bias in attacking the tea party tonight. Did hear Daniels's character directly say he was Republican this week to give the impression of fairness and lack of bias in the show.

Show remains good. I'll keep watching. I just hope we don't keep going round and round with the Mackenzie/Will relationship bit and them trying to one-up each other. That'll get old pretty quickly.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

Yep, he's an actor. Which means he has no thoughts of his own. It's no coincidence that the vast majority of actors who were in "An American Carol" identified themselves with the right.

I'm just speculating. Some people have beliefs and stand up for them. I don't know Jeff Daniels, don't know what his politics are, and have no idea if he would pass on a role that he didn't feel comfortable doing.

But, clearly you do and you know everything, as you have proven to us all countless times.

HBO about one for their last ten since the Six Feet Under, The Sopranos and the Wire. Boardwalk Empire and a bunch of dog shit.

Meh, I still like it a lot. It's a lot of Sorkin-esque dialogue and workplace interaction. Doesn't seem to be much different than Sports Night or The West Wing. Personally, I like that style of dialogue. Sure, it's not how most people interact. I don't know, maybe it's an acquired taste.

Agree with the show turning more and more left, although, I feel the same way about the tea party that "card-carrying Republican Will McAvoy" feels.

I like the acting a lot. I think everybody's playing their role pretty well. I don't know what it would be like to be in a cable newsroom, but this is what I picture it being like.

Still a fan and I'll still keep watching. I think Jeff Daniels is doing a phenomenal job.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

HBO about one for their last ten since the Six Feet Under, The Sopranos and the Wire. Boardwalk Empire and a bunch of dog shit.

Meh, I still like it a lot. It's a lot of Sorkin-esque dialogue and workplace interaction. Doesn't seem to be much different than Sports Night or The West Wing. Personally, I like that style of dialogue. Sure, it's not how most people interact. I don't know, maybe it's an acquired taste.

Agree with the show turning more and more left, although, I feel the same way about the tea party that "card-carrying Republican Will McAvoy" feels.

I like the acting a lot. I think everybody's playing their role pretty well. I don't know what it would be like to be in a cable newsroom, but this is what I picture it being like.

Still a fan and I'll still keep watching. I think Jeff Daniels is doing a phenomenal job.

Agreed. This show is 100% Sorkin standard. I think people either love or hate his style.

Certain parts can get a little meh, but when it's great, it's great. The opening of the series premiere was phenomenal, the Waterson/Fonda stand-off last week was great and the final 10 minutes of last night's show were goosebump-inducing for me.